The streets of
Tombstone themselves are
said to be the pathways of many a lingering spirit, one of which is the
long dead Marshal Fred White, who was
accidentally shot by
Cowboy faction leader,
Curly Bill Brocius on October 28, 1880. White, the first marshal
of
Tombstone, had gained the
respect of the
Clanton Gang, and in fact, had
arrested "Cowboy”
members on a number of occasions, rarely having any problems when doing
so. In the early morning of October 28th,
Curly Bill and
several of his cohorts were making sport by shooting up the town.

When White went to
disarm the gunman, a shot was accidentally fired, hitting White in the
groin. Though, it was thought that he would make a full recovery, two
days later he died. Today, he is said to haunt the street in front of
the shooting site, which was an empty lot where the
Bird Cage Theatre
was built a year later.

Another
cowboy,
that of a man moving along in a long black frock coat, has also been
seen on a number of occasions. Crossing the road, the apparition is
often seen near the site where
Virgil Earp was ambushed and shot in the
arm, crippling him for life. The spirit never makes it across the
street, leading many to believe that this may the ghost of
Virgil Earp,
himself.

A woman in a long
white dress has also been spied on
Tombstone streets. One
legend tells that she is a fretful mother whose child died from the
yellow fever in the 1880’s, and devastated, she took her own life
later. Another version of the tale claims that she was a brothel madam
who was hanged and continues to stalk to streets in search of her
executioners.

Lawlessness though
was not the only cause of numerous deaths during
Tombstone's
heydays. Twice it suffered terrible fires, the first in June, 1881 and
a second in May, 1882. During these two infernos, which both wiped out
significant areas of the business district, more than 40 men lost
their lives in the crowded
saloons and brothels that burned to the
ground. These long-dead, suffering men are also said to make
themselves known, appearing complete with drastic burns. Others have
reported the smell of smoke and burning materials when there is no
explainable reason.

Today, the
O.K. Corral is allegedly haunted by the ghosts of the
Cowboys.
Over the years, a number of witnesses have reported seeing the fading
apparitions of men dressed in
cowboy attire, often appearing with guns
drawn, perhaps locked into a perpetual battle with the
Earps. Others have
claimed to have felt numerous cold spots in various areas of the corral.

At the nearby Boot Hill Graveyard,
called such because many of its occupants died with their boots on, more
than 250 graves give partial stories of the
Tombstone's
lawless past. Used primarily from 1878-1884, the graveyard was originally
called the "Tombstone
Cemetery." Men such as those killed at the
O.K. Corral Gunfight, Marshal Fred White
killed by
Curly Bill Brocius, an unfortunate soul by the name
of George Johnson who was hanged by mistake, five men hanged for the
vicious killings labeled the "Bisbee Massacre," gunfighter,
Charlie Storms
who was killed by
Luke Short, and dozens more, ranging from prospectors,
to outlaws, lawmen, and prostitutes. Of some who were laid to rest here,
their names were never known or were only known by a nickname.

Over the years, the old cemetery fell into disrepair, with numerous old
wooden tombstones falling down or decomposing entirely, and others being
stolen by souvenir hunters. It wasn't until the
town's first Helldorado Days, around 1929, the old cemetery began to be
referred to as the
Boot Hill Graveyard.
Still, it continued to sit neglected until the 1940's when an effort began to restore the cemetery.

Today it is one of
Tombstone's
most popular tourist attractions. Evidently, per a number of legends, it
also remains popular with the many dead who lie there. Visitors often
report seeing strange lights and hearing unidentifiable noises coming from
the old graveyard. Spirits have been spied on numerous occasions, and even
more frequently are said to appear in photographs. Billy Clanton, killed
in the Gunfight at the
O.K. Corral is said to rise from his grave before
walking along the road back to
Tombstone.